


humanity’s strongest soliders

by xivuz



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: (?), Angst, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, aot manga spoilers, everyone else had died, humanity’s strongest soldiers everyone, just levi and mikasa having a needed talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:41:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28541958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xivuz/pseuds/xivuz
Summary: The mission to stop the rumbling was a success, except only two Ackermans managed to survive.or; Levi and Mikasa have a talk regarding the death of their comrades.
Relationships: Mikasa Ackerman & Levi
Comments: 1
Kudos: 29





	humanity’s strongest soliders

_Mikasa is ten years old. It’s a Sunday, so the streets of Shiganshina are busier. Dodging past bodies twice her size, Mikasa gets into the bread line. She waits patiently until she’s the first one when a sudden force shakes her shoulder._

_“Armin?” Mikasa said, her voice soft and startled._

_Armin is gasping for air, his golden blonde hair sticking to his forehead as he tries to speak._

_“Er... Eren,” Armin gasps, Mikasa grips his shoulders and shakes lightly._

_“Eren? Where?” Mikasa starts to drag Armin back into the street, “What happened?”_

_Her feet carried her mindlessly, gripping Armin’s arm as she ran. Her legs felt heavier for some reason. Armin shouted out from behind her, “Near the courtyard! Bullies!”_

_Mikasa ran faster, letting go of Armin to make her way as quickly as she could to the courtyard. She pushed passed the crowd eventually struggling to get past each one. Finally she made it to the courtyard, couples and families chatting about in the open space. Her eyes scanned the area for Eren quickly. He wasn’t in sight. Turning on her heel she spun around looking for Armin, who always follows behind her in times like these._

_“Armin?” Mikasa called as she looked around. Only strangers passed by her, each face looking somewhat recognizable, yet Mikasa couldn’t find a name. Mikasa but her lip as she called out again, “Armin?!”_

_She spun frantically once more. The crowd had dispersed with no one to be in sight now. A violent scream came from behind her, Armin’s. Mikasa turned and started sprinting. She was older now, dressed in her uniform. The ODM gear felt heavy in her hips as she jumped and propelled herself into the air. Landing on top of a roof Mikasa let out a silent gasp._

_A few yards before her Armin was being held by a titan. He was kicking and screaming, desperately struggling to get out of the creature’s grasp. Mikasa sprung into action. She clicked on the handles of her gear sending a wire to connect onto the house. Mikasa flew through the air in a split second, letting out a furious scream. It seemed she was a second too late though._

_Mikasa let out a horrid cry as she watched the titan bit into Armin like a midday snack. Armin’s blood sprayed in the air and dirtied the titan’s lips. Her throat felt dry and scratchy from all the screaming she was letting out. With natural expertise and rage Mikasa hooked onto the titan and cut into the flesh of its arms. In the next second she was behind it, tightly holding her swords as she feared into the nape. Hot blood splatted across her chest and face as she let out a grunt. The titan fell to its knees, then onto its face._

_Mikasa panted as she wiped her face with her arm, her eyes were burning with tears and her cheeks felt wet from the blood. She then stared at the side profile of the titan, its face looking far too familiar._

_It was Eren’s titan._

_Mikasa let out another terrified shriek as she took two steps back. What had she done? Looking down she saw the corpse of her beloved Eren. Dropping her swords, Mikasa scrambled to her knees beside Eren. Turning his body she sobbed. His neck was nearly completely off his torso, all due to her._

_“Eren,” Mikasa cried, “Eren!”_

_“M-Mikasa,” She heard Eren whisper._

_“Eren, oh god,” Mikasa inhaled shakily, “Stay with me Eren.”_

_“Mikasa,” Eren repeated._

_She flinched as Eren suddenly looked her in the eyes, face bloodied with his titan marks, “Mikasa! Mikasa! Mikasa!”_

_Each time Eren said her name his voice grew louder. He kept repeating her name, like it was a prayer, until it grew as thunderous as the cries of titans. Her head spun with how defending his chants were. Over and over again he shouted._

_“Mikasa!”_

_“Mikasa!”_

“Mikasa!” 

Mikasa sat up gasping for air, her body hot and prickly. Her arms trembled as she tried to regulate her breathing. Her vision was blurred, and her cheeks wet. Wiping her face hastily Mikasa took in her surroundings. Concrete walls and wooden floorboards. A candle light lit up the room. She looked towards her left. Captain Levi. 

“Hey, breath,” His voice was like gravel, calm but ridged. 

“Wh...?”

“You were screaming,” Levi soothed, concern laced on his expression.

“Where... Where am I?” Mikasa questioned, her voice was weaker than she would’ve liked. 

Levi sat back in his chair, “A clinic. Wall Sina.” 

“Sina...?” Mikasa rubbed her temples. Her head was throbbing and her eyes felt heavy. 

“You don’t remember?” Levi asked. 

Mikasa grunted, “No... no- I, we came back a week ago.” 

“That’s right.” 

Like a flash of lighting it hit her. Mikasa whipped her head to look at Levi, her voice coming out labored. 

“Where are the others?” 

Levi stayed silent for a moment, scanning over her face, “The others?” 

“Jean, Connie, Armin,” Mikasa inhaled sharply, “Eren... Where are they?” 

Levi stared at her. He slowly uncrossed his legs. Mikasa watched as the man hunched over, clasping his hands at his forehead. 

“This is the third time you’ve asked me that,” He muttered. Mikasa could feel her heart sinking, as if every bone in her body stiffened. 

“The others... Died one week ago, in our mission to stop the rumbling,” Levi said hoarsely, “We managed to kill Eren and stop all of it. Remember?” 

Suddenly it all came rushing back to Mikasa like an avalanche. She remembered standing on that carcass like monster, the monster being Eren. Reiner’s leg had been broken, he had fallen off the bone screaming. She had watched Connie being bitten into then swallowed, the next being Jean. She watched as Armin was taken into the hands of a titan and torn in two. She remembered her own blades slicing into the fragile looking girl Ymir, causing everything to crash down. Something had fallen on her head, someone had carried her as she lost consciousness. And now, she was here. 

Her voice came out in barely a whisper, “I remember.” 

Levi let out a deep sigh, standing up slowly. He grabbed crutches from beside the bed she sat in, and said, “I’ll get you some food and water.” 

Mikasa stared down into her lap lifeless. Her head was buzzing in agony. It felt like she had swallowed a glass full of needles. In fact, her whole body seemed numb. Her hands shook as she turned her palms up. She hadn’t even noticed that Levi had returned, placing a glass of water and plate of bread beside her. 

Mikasa didn’t move an inch. 

Levi waited for a minute before questioning, “What? Aren’t you going to eat?” 

“Sorry to say, but I’m not feeling hungry,” Mikasa bitterly muttered. Mikasa eyes Levi as his eyebrows scrunched together. 

“Doesn’t matter if you don’t  _feel_ hungry. You haven’t eaten in two days,” Levi said. Mikasa sat still. Levi let out a tired sigh, reaching for the bread and offering it to her, “C’mon-,”

“I don’t want it!” Mikasa snapped, as if she were a bratty child. Levi pressed his lips together, setting down the loaf.

He leaned back in his chair, “If you don’t eat then you’ll die. Never thought I would see you die this pitifully.” 

Mikasa shot the older a harsh glare. It seemed to have no effect on the other. Gritting her teeth she looked back down into her lap. She felt her eyes water as tears streamed down her face silently. Her cheeks burned as she let out small hiccups. 

Levi stared at her, not uttering a word. 

Eventually, Mikasa took a deep breath, trying to control her quiet sobs. It felt like she was suffocating. That every breath she took was shorter and shorter. 

“Why...” She had murmured between gasps, “Why them...? Why not me...?” 

Mikasa let out a choked out cry, “Why did they have to die... Why couldn’t I have died with them?” 

Levi pursed his lips. He let out a slow exhale, running his hand down his scarred face. 

“Erwin once asked me something,” Levi had said looking towards the wall. 

“‘Can you see them? All of our fallen comrades?’” Mikasa lifted her head to stare at the other, “He said our comrades were watching us. He said they were watching over us, because their fight wasn’t over.” 

“And now... “ Levi paused, “The fight is over.” 

“What are you-,” 

“Was it all for nothing then?” Levi muttered, as if he was questioning himself rather than Mikasa. 

“Countless soldiers laid down their lives for Eren, for humanity,” Levi continued, “And where has that gotten us? Over half the continent flattened and Eldians even more feared than before.” 

Levi looked back at Mikasa now, “I’ve lost too many comrades, too many friends. All for this.” 

Mikasa bit her cheek, “Why are you telling me this?” 

“Because we’re soldiers. We always have been,” Levi said, “Life is a luxury. Death has always stared us in the eyes on the battlefield, waiting for us to fall into its hands.”

Levi paused, closing his fists tightly, “Humans without fail, will one day die. Our comrades are no exception.” 

Mikasa felt her breath hitch, she was biting her lip so hard it was starting to split. 

“But don’t be mistaken, Mikasa,” Levi said, “Not a single one of our fallen comrade’s lives were meaningless. Each one, has brought us to this point. We are what’s left.”

“We carry on their legacies,” Levi stated. 

“And it’s up to us whether we give up and die,” Levi picked up the piece of bread once more, offering it out to Mikasa, “Or if we keep fighting.”

Mikasa sniffled, wiping her face quickly before shakily extending her hand. Slowly she took the bread, clutching it in her palm and raising it before her mouth. Hesitating, she stilled before taking a bite. 

She thought back, all those years ago when Eren had first saved her. He was struggling even to breath when he had said ‘fight’. Since then, Mikasa couldn’t remember a time when she wasn’t. 

Mikasa stared at the loaf of bread, suddenly feeling her head clear for a moment. She had always been fighting, ever since that day. So who was she to stop now?

Without words she bit into the bread, swallowing one bite after another. Once she had finished the loaf she looked back at Levi. 

“I’ll keep fighting, like I’ve always have,” Mikasa’s voice was stable and strong as she looked the other in the eyes. 

“Good,” Levi spoke, “That’s what we call true strength.”

**Author's Note:**

> hi! like all my fics this idea came to me out of no where and i wrote it without a thought! in the dream where mikasa notes how all of the strangers looked familiar, they are supposed to be all of her comrades that have died. regarding the actual convo they had i’ve been thinking about it for awhile. levi especially, he truly is humanity’s strongest solider. he has lost everything... enough of me being sad tho! 
> 
> u can find me on twt @illumilvr


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